Tag: energy

http://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/ are one of the UK’s leading suppliers and advisors on low energy lighting. Manufacturers now offer a wide range of solutions which will not only save you olney but help create the perfect light for every room in your house, place of work, retail oulet or leisure venue.

light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting. Appearing as practical electronic components in 1962, early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths, with very high brightness.
When a light-emitting diode is forward-biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. An LED is often small in area (less than 1 mm2), and integrated optical components may be used to shape its radiation pattern. LEDs present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster switching. LEDs powerful enough for room lighting are relatively expensive and require more precise current and heat management than compact fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.
..”

LED Lighting – Stealth Weapon Deployed Around World, Particularly In Major Cities

“They’re going to need a lot of support, and that’s what they deserve.” said Cowley, a Minnesota native and daughter of former KARE 11 anchor Pat Miles.

Cowley lives in Pulga, California, an abandoned mining town turned resort destination, located about 90 miles north of Sacramento. The town is also now ground zero for the fire investigation and a potential lawsuit against the PG&E electric company. “.

Without exaggeration, this CHARGER is well worth looking at. You give this as a gift and people will remember it for a LONG time. Here’s your link: http://bit.ly/PatriotCharger *** Your coupon code is IMPACT10

Southern California

Media Reports

“..Deadly wildfires in northern California have destroyed more than 3,500 buildings and forced 25,000 people to leave their homes.

Firefighters are still battling the fires which have at least 40 dead and left scars across 170,000 acres (265 square miles) of land. Satellite images show the extent of the around the city of Santa Rosa…”

Coffey Park in Santa Rosa is Ground Zero for California fire devastation Jonathan J. Cooper | AP October 14 2017 scpr.org
A US flag hangs on a tree in the widfire-ravaged Coffey Park neighborhood of Santa Rosa, California, on October 11, 2017. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images“..Coffey Park, a square mile of middle-class homes and friendly neighbors on the northern edge of Santa Rosa, was among the hardest hit areas from the series of wildfires that broke out Oct. 8 in Northern California. Dozens died, and thousands of homes were destroyed, 2,800 alone from the Tubbs Fire that scorched Santa Rosa.

Fueled by fierce winds, the flames chewed up hillsides, jumped over a six-lane highway and sent thousands fleeing for their lives. Many had nothing but the clothes they wore, leaving behind all their possessions and a lifetime of mementos.

At least two of the dead were killed in Coffey Park — a number that could rise once authorities sift through ash to see if there are bone fragments, teeth, medical devices or anything else that could identify human remains…”

SUPPORT

“..Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC (“Sabal Trail”), a joint venture of Spectra Energy Corp. NextEra Energy, Inc. and Duke Energy, is an approximately 515-mile interstate natural gas pipeline to provide transportation services for power generation needs to Florida Power and Light (“FPL”) and Duke Energy of Florida (“DEF”) by the end of June 2017.

The Sabal Trail underground pipeline will bring additional affordable, clean natural gas supplies to Florida, while increasing the reliability of the region’s energy delivery system and positively impacting the economy in the Southeast region of the United States, specifically Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The Sabal Trail project will provide economic stimulus in the form of increased tax revenue and local jobs. According to an economic study, the pipeline project will immediately create jobs for hardworking men and women in these three states, with the end product being capable of transporting over 1 billion cubic feet per day or more of natural gas to serve local distribution companies, industrial users and natural gas-fired power generators in the Southeast markets.
..”Fort Drum Creek Destruction for the Sabal Trail Methane Gas Pipeline , from youtube.com“Published on Jan 6, 2017

Destruction happening during Sabal Trail Pipeline construction in Florida. This is a 3 foot pipeline that will carry dangerous methane gas across the beautiful state of Florida. #stopsabaltrail
“

NOT

Sabal Trail Pipeline: What you need to know , from youtube.comJapan’s Shift to Renewable Energy Loses Power By Mayumi Negishi
September 14, 2016 wsj.com
After the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the country set ambitious targets. What happened?“…“Whether or not Japan embraces nuclear again, we need to reduce the role of petroleum-based fuels, and to do so, we need far more renewables than we’re on track to achieve,” says Shinichi Suzuki, secretary-general of the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association…”Fracked gas through Sabal Trail to Japan spectrabusters.orgThousands of Sabal Trail Pipeline protesters will gather at Suwannee River this weekend
Posted By Nick Wills on Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 12:49 PM orlandoweekly.com“..In 2016, The Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research projected that Florida would finally breach the 20 million population milestone, which would result in an increase in energy usage. Renewable energy sources, like wind and solar, are not keeping pace with the population growth and has led to the state looking elsewhere for a more sustainable future.

Oil pipelines have not held the cleanest of reputations as of late, despite the fact that they are 70 times safer, accident-wise, than freighter trucks. Incidents may be fewer but the impact of an accident with the pipeline would be far more detrimental to the surrounding public and nature.

In the past protest meetings have been held in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa. ..”

Natural Gas Pipeline in Southeast Sparks Environmental Justice Outcry By Christiana Lilly On 9/7/16 at 12:30 PM newsweek.com“..The Bells are just one of many families in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida who are being impacted by the Sabal Trail Transmission, a $3 billion project with the goal of beginning service by May 1, 2017. The 515-mile pipeline would help power Florida’s growing energy demand—more than 60 percent of the Sunshine State’s utilities are reliant on gas.

Behind the project are Spectra Energy Corp, NextEra Energy, Inc., and Duke Energy; the natural gas will be provided to Florida Power and Light, owned by NextEra and Duke.

Sabal Trail is one of a number of controversial pipeline projects under construction across the country. In North Dakota, a coalition of Native American tribes are fighting to stop a 1,170-mile oil pipeline that would run through sacred grounds and near important water sources.
..”

John Quarterman of the WWALS Watershed Coalition environmental group in Georgia said the public was told such accidents were not possible.

“So what else can happen that they said couldn’t happen?” Quarterman asked. “And why should we take that risk or any risk for this pipeline that has never been of any benefit to the state?”

The bentonite clay in the discharged drilling mud can deplete oxygen in the river that aquatic life needs to survive, Quarterman’s group says. He said he’s also concerned that drilling could cause cave systems to collapse and cause more discharges into rivers and the Floridan Aquifer, the source of drinking water for the region.

Bert Langley, director of compliance at the Georgia Environmental Protection Division in Atlanta, said the pressurized drilling mud apparently surfaced through a crevice in the bedrock beneath the river bottom. While technically the release of any drilling mud is a permit violation, Langley said, he noted that the company acted quickly to contain the discharge and there has been no additional releases.

“We are going to monitor it a little bit,” he said. “As long as things continue the way they are, I doubt we will take any action as far as an enforcement action.”

The Sabal Trail pipeline, a joint venture of Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and the parent company of Florida Power & Light Co., will extend 515 miles from central Alabama to Osceola County in Central Florida. The company began construction in August after receiving required permits but it faces continued opposition from groups, including the Sierra Club.

Environmentalists have filed federal lawsuits to try to block the Sabal Trail pipeline, claiming it’s a threat to rivers and the Floridan Aquifer.
..”

ACTION

Pray, educate yourself and others, and see how you can #makeaidifference directly or indirectly..

Fellow Floridians, it’s time to have a serious talk. While we’ve been looking the other way, there have been machinations devised and put into action to both rape our ecological resources and dupe the citizens of this state out of their rights and finances. The Sabal Trail Pipeline is 515 miles of potential disaster waiting just a few feet below the ground. Mind you, the United States has over 2.5 MILLION miles of these pipelines crossing the country, and just recently we heard news from Alabama regarding a similar structure that caused a significant disaster. The area of North Florida that the pipeline is traversing runs right through the most exposed part of the Floridan aquifer as well as through karst limestone which has a tendency to be unstable. Further, this pipeline represents a 3.2 BILLION DOLLAR investment into an archaic and soon-to-be-obsolete source of energy; it’s also not a source of local jobs, as all of the materials, workers… everything down to the Port-a-Lets come from out-of-state. As Floridians, we have absolutely ZERO vested interest in these pipelines—they offer no economic incentive in any form and the citizens of the state are the ones bearing all of the risk and damages.

This is what we all need to do: support the Stop Sabal Trail Pipeline movement as well as all of the other grassroots activist groups fighting to stop corporate intrusion into our right to a clean and safe Earth to live on. Follow all of these groups on social media, and lend your support in any way possible. The time is NOW to take action—we do not have a single moment left to spare. In the Gilchrist County area, there’s the Water is Life Camp run by the organization linked below, or you can also check out the Sacred Water Camp close by in Suwannee County. Both of these sites are a short drive from Gainesville, and even a shorter drive from Lake City. TOGETHER we can ALL make a difference. #WaterIsLife #StopTheSabalTrailPipeline #SSP #SaveFloridaWatersNow

“…Furthermore, this characterization of water protector violence is a distraction from the lawlessness the state administration has allowed to occur in the Bakken, the heart of oil and gas extraction. The State does not seem to be concerned with the seemingly constant environmental crimes that occur from countless oil and salt water spills, wasted uncaptured natural gas, and abandoned radioactive waste. The companies responsible of these crimes are not fined or taken to jail. The damage to farmers, ranchers, and others who’ve lived and worked here are considered by the state as “collateral damage” and efforts to help are rejected by the Oil and gas extraction has brought in a massive influx of out-of-state workers, overwhelming demands for infrastructure, urban sprawl, and negative social impacts to communities…”

As American power and population grew in the 19th century, the United States gradually rejected the main principle of treaty-making—that tribes were self-governing nations—and initiated policies that undermined tribal sovereignty. For Indian nations, these policies resulted in broken treaties, vast land loss, removal and relocation, population decline, and cultural decimation.

The “Indian Problem” was produced to serve as the central video in the exhibition “Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nations,” on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. This video introduces visitors to the section of the exhibition titled “Bad Acts, Bad Paper.””
*see Deep Thought: Broken Promises-Who to trust? goodnewseverybodycom.wordpress.com

Two Approaches to Economic Development on American Indian Reservations: One Works, the Other Doesn’t · January 2006 with 21 Reads researchgate.net“..There are concrete, bottom-line payoffs to tribal self-rule. For example, a Harvard Project study of
75 tribes with significant timber resources found that, for every timber-related job that moved
from BIA forestry to tribal forestry—that is, for every job that moved from federal control to tribal
control—prices received and productivity in the tribe’s timber operations rose.
16
On average,
tribes do a better job of managing their forests because these are their forests.

But the evidence is even broader. After fifteen years of research and work in Indian Country, we
cannot find a single case of sustained economic development in which an entity other than the
Indian nation is making the major decisions about development strategy, resource use, or internal
organization. In short, practical sovereignty appears to be a necessary (but not sufficient) condition
for reservation economic development. ..”

The Middle East has always had a rich abundance of natural resources, although which resources are coveted and valued has changed over time. Today, abundant petroleum fields dominate the area’s economy. The Middle East is similarly disproportionately rich in natural gas (32 percent of the world’s known natural gas reserves are in the region) and phosphate (Morocco alone has more than half of the world’s reserves).

Water has always been an important resource in the Middle East — for its relative scarcity rather than its abundance. Disputes over rights to water (for example, building a dam in one country upstream from another) are a fundamental part of the political relationships in the region. Water for irrigation is necessary for many of the ecosystems to sustain crops…”

In which Stan Muller subs for John Green and teaches you about energy and humanity. Today we discuss the ideas put forth by Alfred Crosby in his book, Children of the Sun. Historically, almost all of the energy that humans use has been directly or indirectly generated by the sun, whether that be food energy from plants, wind energy, direct solar energy, or fossil fuels. Stan looks into these different sources, and talks about how humanity will continue to use energy in the future as populations grow and energy resources become more scarce.

You can directly support Crash Course at https://www.patreon.com/crashcourse Subscribe for as little as $0 to keep up with everything we’re doing. Free is nice, but if you can afford to pay a little every month, it really helps us to continue producing this content.

How resource scarcity is driving the third Industrial Revolution mckinsey.com“..Will shortages of energy, materials, food, and water put the brakes on global growth? Far from it. By combining information technology with industrial technology, as well as through harnessing materials science and biotechnology, innovators are showing that it is possible to produce more with less and to access resources at far lower costs…”

“…What we use it for-
Oil is the life blood that is pumped though our modern world, with out it we could not fly to popular holiday destinations, travel to work in the comfort of our vehicles or maybe even watch this video on YouTube, plus many more little perks of modern life. We rely on oil to power many applications within our lives and as of early 2015, the IEA Oil Market Report forecast the average demand would be 34 billion barrels of oil for the year. At this rate, how long can we go on pumping oil out of the ground without exhausting our supplies?
..”

The Hidden Costs of Fossil Fuels ucsusa.org
The costs of coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels aren’t always obvious—but their impacts can be disastrous.“..There are two main methods for removing fossil fuels from the ground: mining and drilling. Mining is used to extract solid fossil fuels, such as coal, by digging, scraping, or otherwise exposing buried resources. Drilling methods help extract liquid or gaseous fossil fuels that can be forced to flow to the surface, such as conventional oil and natural gas. Both processes carry serious health and environmental impacts…”

Why can’t we quit fossil fuels? theguardian.com“..So coal use kept rising too – and oil use in turn kept increasing as cleaner gas, nuclear and hydro came on stream, helping power the digital age, which unlocked more advanced technologies capable of opening up harder-to-read fossil-fuel reserves…

Indeed, though our governments now subsidise clean-power sources and efficient cars and buildings – and encourage us all to use less energy – they are continuing to undermine all that by ripping as much oil, coal and gas out of the ground as possible. And if their own green policies mean there isn’t a market for these fuels at home, then no matter: they can just be exported instead…
This extraordinary double-think is everywhere to be seen. Take the US. Obama boasts that American emissions are now falling due to rising auto efficiency standards and gas displacing dirtier coal in the energy mix. But the US is extracting carbon and flowing it into the global energy system faster than ever before. Its gas boom has simply allowed it to export more of the coal to other countries such as China – which of course uses it partly to produce goods for US markets. Not happy with increasing US carbon extraction, Obama is also set to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline that will enable Canada to flood the global markets with crude produced from dirty tar sands. So much for carbon cuts.
Advertisement

Or take Australia, which in the same year introduced a carbon tax and started debating plans for a series of “mega-mines” that would massively increase its coal exports, helping build confidence among the companies and governments planning no fewer than 1,200 new coal-fired power stations around the world. Even the UK, with its world-leading carbon targets, gives tax-breaks to encourage oil and gas recovery and has been growing its total carbon footprint by relying ever more on Chinese factories – and therefore indirectly its reliance on American and Australian coal. And not just that. Although it rarely gets commented on, Britain – along with other supposedly green nations such as Germany – regularly begs Saudi Arabia and the other Opec nations to produce not less oil, but more. As journalist George Monbiot once put it, nations are trying simultaneously to “reduce demand for fossil fuels and increase supply”…

How would all this affect the global economy, or pension funds, or the financial health of the Middle East, the US and other carbon-rich nations doing most to resist a global climate deal? For all the confident opinion on both sides, no one can say for sure, just as no one can be certain how human society will fare in a warming world. But with so much money and power bound up with oil, coal and gas, one thing seems clear: constraining global fossil fuel supplies will take bigger thinking, harder politics and – crucially – a whole lot more public pressure. Voluntary carbon cuts are a great start but they are no match for a system-level feedback in human energy use…”

-Natural Gas

Will Natural Gas Power the Future? August 9, 2012 pbs.org“Colorado, like many other states around the country, gets most of its energy from burning coal. Skeptics have criticized coal for being a pollutant, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has increased regulations on emissions from electric power plants, thereby making companies scale back their involvement with coal.

In order to meet the EPA guidelines, some power plants in Colorado are converting some of their plants to burn natural gas instead of coal, and shutting some coal-burning plants down altogether.

Natural gas is currently cheaper than coal and more environmentally friendly. It was therefore an easy decision for U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to endorse as a centerpiece of his platform for America’s energy future.

At the same time, the low prices of natural gas are making it difficult for renewable energy sources like wind and solar to make a case for being cost-effective. While environmentalists are worried that the push for natural gas will simply get us hooked on another fossil fuel, Salazar says that the government will continue to pursue both gas and renewable energy sources going forward.

However, change may be slow and coal companies are not willing to give up their market share to newcomers. It is estimated that at the end of the decade, 48% of our energy will still come from coal-fired plants, but natural gas and renewables will make up a larger market share than ever before. “

James Cameron’s $1 billion sci-fi epic Avatar has been hit by accusations of racism. “..vatar is set on a distant planet populated by the Na’vi, an eco-conscious, blue-skinned alien tribe with no understanding of modern technology. A disabled Marine, played by the Australian actor Sam Worthington, is sent to infiltrate the tribe but soon “goes native” and leads them in a defence of their homeland against the white invaders.

He also falls in love with an alien woman, who rejects a Na’vi suitor and becomes his wife. The main Na’vi characters are played by black actors, including Zoe Saldana and Laz Alonso.

David Brooks, a columnist writing in the New York Times, said: “Avatar is a racial fantasy par excellence … It rests on the stereotype that white people are rationalist and technocratic while colonial victims are spiritual and athletic. It rests on the assumption that non-whites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades. It rests on the assumption that illiteracy is the path to grace…

The ruthless treatment of the Na’vi has been interpreted as a metaphor for the plight of American Indians. Brooks said Avatar followed a long tradition of “white Messiah” movies which began in the 1970s with A Man Called Horse, , starring Richard Harris as an English aristocrat who is captured by a Sioux Indian tribe and becomes their leader, and which includes Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves and the Tom Cruise film, The Last Samurai…”
*see Avatar the Movie Reflections-Importance of Cultural Awareness goodnewseverybodycom.wordpress.com

9 Wars That Were Really About Commodities Mamta Badkar Aug. 15, 2012, 2:27 PM businessinsider.com“..The recent rise in tensions over the disputed South China Sea has drawn attention to the possibility that the conflict is really about natural resources located in the islands of the South China Sea.

With the help of Waverly Advisors we point out that wars over commodities go back centuries.

We re-examine the real motivations behind the Pearl Harbor attack and the German invasion of Russia. We also consider more current geo-political tensions that are being driven by commodities…”

Four months after the outbreak of the war, a new objective develops: the fight for the most valuable resources. The modern warfare and its war machines need one thing more than anything: Oil, iron, steel or cole can be a matter of life and death. The British advance into the Ottoman Empire and conquer the city Basra. Their goal is to secure their drilling facilities at the Arab Gulf. Meanwhile, the situation at the front is gridlocked, especially in the trenches on the Western Front.

The communication and organisation in the trenches becomes far more complex in course of time. If you want to know how life was in the trenches and how the structure works, click here and watch our special about trenches: http://bit.ly/1vT9Wxr

» HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOUR CHANNEL?
You can support us by sharing our videos with your friends and spreading the word about our work.You can also support us financially on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thegreatwar

Patreon is a platform for creators like us, that enables us to get monthly financial support from the community in exchange for cool perks.
“

Refugee Crisis & Syria War Fueled By Competing Gas Pipelines By Mnar Muhawesh @mnarmuh | September 9, 2015 mintpressnews.com“…Media outlets and political talking heads have found many opportunities to point fingers in the blame game, but not one media organization has accurately broken down what’s driving the chaos: control over gas, oil and resources.

Indeed, it’s worth asking: How did demonstrations held by “hundreds” of protesters demanding economic change in Syria four years ago devolve into a deadly sectarian civil war, fanning the flames of extremism haunting the world today and creating the world’s second largest refugee crisis?

While the media points its finger to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s barrel bombs and political analysts call for more airstrikes against ISIS and harsher sanctions against Syria, we’re four years into the crisis and most people have no idea how this war even got started…

Foreign meddling in Syria began several years before the Syrian revolt erupted. Wikleaks released leaked US State Department cables from 2006 revealing U.S. plans to overthrow the Syrian government through instigating civil strife, and receiving these very orders straight from Tel Aviv. The leaks reveal the United State’s partnership with nations like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and even Egypt to use sectarianism to divide Syria through the Sunni and Shiite divide to destabilize the nation to weaken Iran and Hezbolla. Israel is also revealed to attempt to use this crisis to expand its occupation of the Golan Heights for additional oil exploration, according to Wikileaks editor Julian Assange…

It’s no secret that Syria’s government is a major arms, oil and gas, and weapons ally of Iran and Lebanon’s resistance political group Hezbollah.

But it’s important to note the timing: This coalition and meddling in Syria came about immediately on the heels of discussions of an Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline that was to be built between 2014 and 2016 from Iran’s giant South Pars field through Iraq and Syria. With a possible extension to Lebanon, it would eventually reach Europe, the target export market…

non-renewable energy nationalgeographic.org“..
Once the oil has been drilled, it must be refined. Oil contains many chemicals besides carbon, and refining the oil takes some of these chemicals out.

We use oil for many things. About half of the world’s petroleum is converted into gasoline. The rest can be processed and used in liquid products such as nail polish and rubbing alcohol, or solid products such as water pipes, shoes, crayons, roofing, vitamin capsules, and thousands of other items.
..”

Did you know that last year 36% of our energy consumption came from petroleum? What petroleum-based items do we use on a daily basis? Sneakers, bubblegum, bath soap and sweaters? These are only a few things made from petroleum. Watch this video and find out more!”
In the video above, some “renewable energy” sources are “dependent” on petroleum ..

-Wind Turbines

Can You Make a Wind Turbine Without Fossil Fuels? February 25, 2014 by Robert Wilson theenergycollective.com“..The current feasibility of 100% renewable energy is easily tested by asking a simple question. Can you build a wind turbine without fossil fuels? If the machines that will deliver 100% renewable energy cannot be made without fossil fuels, then quite obviously we cannot get 100% renewable energy…

What is it made of? Lots of steel, concrete and advanced plastic. Material requirements of a modern wind turbine have been reviewed by the United States Geological Survey. On average 1 MW of wind capacity requires 103 tonnes of stainless steel, 402 tonnes of concrete, 6.8 tonnes of fiberglass, 3 tonnes of copper and 20 tonnes of cast iron. The elegant blades are made of fiberglass, the skyscraper sized tower of steel, and the base of concrete…

However I will note at the outset that the requirement for fiberglass means that a wind turbine cannot currently be made without the extraction of oil and natural gas, because fiberglass is without exception produced from petrochemicals…

Now, none of this is to argue against wind turbines, it is simply arguing against over-promising what can be achieved. It also should be pointed out that we cannot build a nuclear power plant, or any piece of large infrastrtucture for that matter, without concrete or steel. A future entirely without fossil fuels may be desirable, but currently it is not achievable. Expectations must be set accordingly.”

The Solar Power Paradox: Alternative Energy Can’t Run on Oil .. altenergymag.com“…As demand for alternative energy increases and green technologies progress at an unprecedented rate, the solar industry has undoubtedly taken massive strides toward making the world a greener place. Global photovoltaic (PV) production is currently the world’s fastest-growing energy technology – doubling every two years by an average of 48 percent per year. However, the reality remains that the manufacture of PV solar modules (like many green renewable energy sources) is heavily petroleum dependent, presenting a fundamental contradiction in the green energy movement…”

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about something made from petroleum? Gasoline, probably. Or maybe plastic bags. But there are actually thousands of products made from crude oil and natural gas!

Even if you don’t drive a car or carry your groceries home in plastic bags, you still use dozens – or even hundreds – of petroleum-based products every day.

Click a group of products below to see for yourself. It’s amazing what oil and natural gas become…”

Action:

Comfort comes with a cost
Convenience comes with a cost

List of Ways to Reduce the Use of Fossil Fuels education.seattlepi.com“..Nearly 85 percent of the U.S. energy supply comes from fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil. Fossil fuels take millions of years to form and are thus considered to be nonrenewable. Higher energy demands and poor efficiency practices have increased fossil fuel usage, and it’s now critical to find alternative means of energy generation before depleting the global supply. It takes individual and community actions to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels…”Reducing Dependency on Fossil Fuels April 29, 2010• Fossil Fuels• by EconomyWatch economywatch.com“..Reducing dependency on fossil fuels is a major challenge for most economically advanced countries of the world as there is a very important link between the usage of fossil fuels and the economic conditions of individual.

One of the major reasons behind the increasing demand to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels is the fact that they are expected to run out at a certain point of time in the future. This is where sustainable energy is expected to be useful as it would last longer than any other form of fuel source…”

At a news conference, local landowners and Republican and Democratic state legislators cautioned FERC to resist the temptation to compare the advantages of natural gas to coal, and instead compare them to renewable energy, when making its determination about whether the projects are the best way to go to address climate change and energy demand…”

Natural gas study stirs up controversy over Atlantic Coast Pipeline By Caleb Stewart | Posted: Mon 7:12 PM, Sep 12, 2016 whsv.com“…”The fact is, demand for natural gas in Virginia and North Carolina is growing significantly – by 165 percent over the next 20 years,” said Ruby. “Existing pipelines in the region are constrained and operating at full capacity. They are not capable of meeting that huge growth in demand. In Hampton Roads, Virginia, for example, natural gas service is already being curtailed for large industrial customers during high-demand periods because existing pipelines are so constrained. Utilities have looked at expanding that infrastructure for years, and it just isn’t feasible. That’s why we urgently need new infrastructure like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.”..

In North Carolina, there is currently only one pipeline serving the entire state, and it predominantly serves the western North Carolina.,” said Ruby. “That leaves entire communities in eastern North Carolina with limited or no access to natural gas. Upgrading the existing system or using available capacity, as the authors of this report propose, won’t do anything to expand service in eastern North Carolina. That’s why you need the Atlantic Coast Pipeline – it will actually be located in eastern North Carolina where these communities are located.”

“The reality is, the existing pipelines in our region are constrained and operating at full capacity during those peak demand periods. We need new infrastructure to alleviate those constraints,” said Ruby. “That’s why we’re proposing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline..

—DEPENDENCE ON NATURAL GAS?—

The pipelines, if approved, would provide the mid-Atlantic with natural gas for 80 years, the lifetime of the pipelines. The SELC argues that that would lock the region in to dependence on natural gas.

“An investment of billions of dollars in natural gas will further discourage these utilities from moving towards renewable energy, like solar and wind power that could save their customers more money,” Buppert said.

The two proposed pipelines would transport fracked natural gas from wells in West Virginia to customers in Virginia and the Carolinas. The pipelines would transect natural and recreation areas, along with cities, towns and farms. A number of citizen groups and businesses in several states have formed to oppose the pipelines.

—EXPORTING NATURAL GAS—

The report also raises the possibility of another utility-driven incentive to push for these projects:

“Because the supply of natural gas is abundant, utilities are exploring options to export the fuel overseas. That would require more capacity to move natural gas to the mid-Atlantic’s coastal ports. Therefore, ‘pipeline developers … have an additional motivation to expand their ownership interests in natural gas supply infrastructure,’ the researchers said.”…”

America’s existing pipelines are getting older and more prone to corrosion, and over the next five to 10 years, there will be a significant increase in the number of new pipelines.

And that is creating a huge opportunity for better pipeline safety technology.

Monitoring and detecting corrosion in pipelines is still a crude affair (no pun intended). Pipeline companies tend to underspend on safety, concerned only with meeting the minimum regulatory requirements.

One of the major ways pipeline operators detect corrosion is with a “pig,” a machine that travels down the inside of a pipeline looking for problems.

Pigs are not new — the industry has long relied heavily on them—and the newest generation of pigs, known as “smart pigs,” is considered an improvement over the pigs of yesterday. Smart pigs give a read on the state of the pipeline, such as cracks, corrosion, and metal loss. Operators receive this information in a control room and can then dispatch crews to fix the problem. As of 2012, 93 percent of pipeline inspections were conducted using smart pigs…

So alternative methods to detect trouble spots are needed. One method for detecting corrosion uses a device from outside the pipeline. A series of sensors placed on the outside of the pipeline can search for corrosion without interfering in operations.

Pipeline safety company Fox-Tek, a subsidiary of Augusta Industries (CVE: AAO), uses such a system to detect corrosion, as well as a fiber optic system to detect bends, strains and stress in pipelines.

Did you know that last year 36% of our energy consumption came from petroleum? What petroleum-based items do we use on a daily basis? Sneakers, bubblegum, bath soap and sweaters? These are only a few things made from petroleum. Watch this video and find out more!”

Neutral

Pipelines vs Oil Trains May 26, 2015/0 Comments/in Articles, Data and Analysis, News and Information /by Guest Author fractracker.org By Juliana Henao, Communications InternNatural Gas: Pros and Cons by RP Siegel on Tuesday, Apr 3rd, 2012 triplepundit.comEnbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline Pros and Cons By Scott Steele May 31, 2013 RSS PDF newswire.net“..Looking at the advantages it is certain the pipeline will provide jobs to boost economic growth in communities along the pipeline, provincially and nationally. Enbridge Inc. (NYSE:ENB) (TSE:ENB) notes on its website that the, “Northern Gateway Project will create 550 long-term jobs in B.C., 380 in Alberta and 210 in the rest of Canada for a total of 1150 long term jobs. Also there will be 270 billion in growth to Canada’s GDP over 30 years.”

Pipe fabrication & manufacturing is done according to industry standards and specifications to ensure safe delivery of oil and gas fuels. After the pipe is manufactured it undergoes various testing phases and inspection services including visual inspection, protective coatings inspection, x-ray inspection to name a few.

Pipelines have been proven to be the safest and most reliable mode of transport. According to Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA), “Our most recent statistics show that 99.99 per cent of liquid products were transported safely between 2002 and 2011.”

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada report that only five pipeline accidents were reported to the TSB in 2011, down from the 2010 total of 11, and below the 2006–2010 average of 9.

Another advantage is the difficulties in handling large amount of products by rail from one loading point is reduced. Findings also show minimum transit loss.

The disadvantages to laying pipelines, including the initial cost of environmental studies, pipeline construction is very expensive. Over time the pipeline could corrode and cause leakage. The Pembina Institute, natural Resources Defense Council and the Living Oceans Society, which issued a joint report on the proposed pipeline in November 2011 stated, “Diluted bitumen may weaken pipelines at a quicker rate than conventional oil because of its acidic, sulphuric, abrasive and viscous nature.”

This is minimized by treatment of the pipe with anti-corrosive coating supplemented with cathodic protection along with increased inspections and pipeline maintenance. New and innovative technologies like digital sensors are being tested, these sensors would help lower the risks of leakage even further.

Pipelines can become damaged by natural disasters or sabotage resulting in contamination of soil and groundwater the costs for clean-up could be astronomical. These occurrences are a lot harder if not impossible to control. Some other disadvantages are slower delivery to a limitation of fixed points.

“Oilfield Directory offers oil and gas company information, recognizing the need for inspection services such as pipe inspection, tank inspection, infrared thermography, calibrations services and more we have oil and gas companies and contractors who are committed to the safety of individuals as well as the environment .” notes a company spokesman for oilfielddirectory.com..”

Anti-Pipeline Views

Oil Pipelines and Spills cla.auburn.edu“..Ponca City, Oklahoma is an example of one of the cities that is being affected by the expansion of the Keystone pipeline. Ponca City is now receiving an increased amount of toxic emissions from tar sand transport. Tar sand is composed of sand, petroleum, and mineral salts; a highly toxic class of chemicals are also added (Tar Sands Blockade). Tar sand produces 17% more greenhouse gases than traditional crude oil (NPR). The air quality has become life threatening, and residents are forced to breathe in dangerous emissions. Children in surrounding the new pipeline are 56% more likely to develop leukemia versus children that live ten miles away. Even though the Keystone XL website states that it will be the “safest pipeline” in North American, shabby construction work has already had to be redone. If a leak does occur once the pipe is built, residents will be at risk of toxic exposure. In every instance of a tar sand leak in populated areas, toxic chemical exposure through respiration has occurred. Toxic chemical exposure can lead to migraines, painful rashes, breathing complications, nausea, chemical sensitivities, and exacerbated cancer activity (Tar Sands Blockade). Tar sand sinks into water, making the cleanup extraordinarily expensive. When tar sand is exposed to air, the harmful chemicals that are added as diluents evaporate into the air forming heavy toxic clouds close to ground level…”‘Pipe Dreams’- The Keystone XL Documentary Narrated by Daryl Hannah

“Published on Mar 24, 2016

This award winning documentary explores the implications of one of today’s most controversial issues – the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Pipe Dreams is a new 40-minute documentary by Leslie Iwerks on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. It is narrated by Daryl Hannah, who was arrested in Washington, DC at the sit-in protest in front of the White House calling on US President Barack Obama to reject the pipeline.

The Real Impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline By Staff Writer Taylor Veracka ‘18 November 7, 2016 jhupolitik.org“..With all the chaos surrounding the DAPL it’s hard to make out what exactly is the truth and what is not. There are some things that are strikingly clear, however. The Sioux Nation feel that they have been done (yet another) injustice by the US government. They feel their culture and environmental health is at risk, and that they are being taken advantage of. Clearly, many Americans agree. Regardless of the economic benefits of the pipeline, it is important to recognize the problems that the Sioux are facing, and to remember that the majority of the people making political decisions on oil transportation do not completely understand tribal connections to their land. This pipeline represents another opportunity to exploit already endangered and disadvantaged population, and their voices must be considered with the same weight as economic concerns. ..”Map Displays Five Years of Oil Pipeline Spills
by Amanda Starbuck, 6/22/2015 foreffectivegov.org“..Since 2010, over 3,300 incidents of crude oil and liquefied natural gas leaks or ruptures have occurred on U.S. pipelines. These incidents have killed 80 people, injured 389 more, and cost $2.8 billion in damages. They also released toxic, polluting chemicals in local soil, waterways, and air.

Over 1,000 of these incidents occurred on pipelines carrying crude oil. High Country News, a nonprofit news organization in Colorado, mapped these spills:..”

-Texas to Mexico

Inspired by Standing Rock, West Texans take action to fight another pipeline Sasha von Oldershausen The Nation Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:12 UTC Map sott.net“..Two residents of the 6,000-person city of Alpine were arrested early Tuesday morning on grounds of trespassing after they chained themselves to the entrance gates of a pipeline-construction site owned and operated by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), the Dallas-based energy company responsible for the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). Dozens more stood by, holding electric tea lights and signs denouncing the energy company.

Inspired by the fight against the DAPL near the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, the group was protesting a different ETP pipeline project. The Trans-Pecos Pipeline will cut through the spare and pristine Big Bend region of Texas to the border of Mexico, transporting natural gas into Mexico’s interior. ..

…This week’s victory at Standing Rock, in which the Army Corps of Engineers announced it would not permit the pipeline to be drilled under the Missouri River, underscored the power of direct action. Indigenous organizers and, eventually, thousands of supporters camped on the banks of the Cannonball River to protect their ancestral lands and water source. Their united action, even in the face of police violence, proved that last resorts can work.

“[Standing Rock] in North Dakota has really reinvigorated the whole movement,” said Trans-Pecos Pipeline opponent David Keller, an archeologist who earlier this year watched as ETP pummeled through an ancient Native American site at Trap Spring, whose State Archeological Landmark status was pending at the time.

In fact, the events at Standing Rock have inspired the opposition to rethink their approach entirely. At a recent meeting, during which the opposition clandestinely discussed plans for Tuesday’s action, they talked about shifting the verbiage of their protest to more closely resemble that of the protest in North Dakota. ..

..Others see it as a collective fight. “We’re not piggybacking,” Glover said. “This is one big fight that we have before us and it’s scary but it’s also a wonderful opportunity for us because this is not just about our little space here or their space up in North Dakota. This is about how our water is going to be protected all over America.” ..

..In West Virginia and Virginia, for example, residents concerned about the $3.5 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline have formed an alliance to oppose the project, which they say threatens their underground water supplies. Resistance is also gathering against the Bayou Bridge pipeline, another ETP project, which would snake through 60 miles of Louisiana and Texas. Still, few outside these and other municipalities engaged in local pipeline fights have taken notice….

Opponents of the Trans-Pecos Pipeline are eager to do the same. “Even if we don’t stop it altogether, we’re bringing a lot of awareness to this issue in order to pressure, to get our government to change oil and gas infrastructure regulation,” Glover said. …”

GLOBAL

-Pipeline War or Not?

The Syrian Pipeline War: How Russia Trumped USA Energy War in the Mideast Wed, Sep 21, 2016 | russia-insider.com
There is a crucial hydrocarbon component to the great power contest in and around Syria says F. William Engdahl“..In a fundamental sense the entirety of the five-year-long war over Syria, as well as the entire Arab Spring from Libya to Egypt to Iraq has been about control of hydrocarbon resources—oil and natural gas– and of potential hydrocarbon pipelines to the promising markets of the European Union.

Dick Cheney’s 2001 War on Terror was primarily about providing the excuse for a direct US military takeover of the vast oil fields of Iraq and other key Middle East countries. Washington’s War on Syria has been less a war for control of oil. Rather, it’s about who controls whose natural gas flows via which pipelines through which borders to the vast EU gas market.

At this point it looks more and more as if Russia’s geopolitical and geo-economic strategy is trumping (no Donald pun intended) Washington’s very troubled game in the region. Turkey is apparently deciding to become a key ally in this Russian energy trump…”The Truth About Pipeline Politics in the Syrian Proxy War

“Published on Oct 7, 2015

http://www.undergroundworldnews.com
Oil politics in the Syrian civil war is a complex web of money deception and proxy war. What began as non-violent grassroots rebellion against Bashar al Assad and the Syrian state has morphed into a complex proxy war involving countless factions and alliances competing for control of oil, and territory. Various nation states and world powers who have their own financial interests in the region are supporting the armies on the ground. This is because of Syria’s strategic importance as a potential gatekeeper between oil reserves from the gulf and oil markets in Europe. There are two different proposed pipelines that will have to run through Syria in order for this to happen. One sponsored by the gulf states called the “Qatar-Turkey pipeline” and one sponsored by the Iranians and Syrians nicknamed the “Islamic pipeline”.

Since the 1990s, Europe has been increasingly dependent on Russian natural gas and oil. In 2014 it was estimated that 42% of the European Union’s natural gas imports originated from Russia. This dependence has limited Europe’s ability to make a show of force against Russia. Last year the U.S introduced economic sanctions against Russia in retaliation for its annexation of Crimea. When the US asked the EU to participate, there was a heated debate amongst the European nations about how exactly to impose sanctions. Eastern Europeans felt especially threatened by Russia’s actions and wanted to enact the harshest penalties possible, however, Western Europeans were well aware that cutting off economic trade with Russia would destabilize their economies. As a result the European Union (EU) has desperately been looking for other sources of natural gas. The “pipeline” which will carry natural gas from Azerbaijan into Europe will help to offset dependence on Russian gas, but will take years to reach full capacity and will not rid Europe of Russian dependence altogether. On top of which European demand for natural gas is expected to rise dramatically in the next 30 years. There is only one known source of gas that can solve Europe’s long term energy needs and that’s source resides in the Middle East underneath the Persian Gulf.

THE WAR ON SYRIA: [PIPELINES & THE U.S. DOLLAR ARE KEY. ALSO READ “WHICH PATH TO PERSIA? http://bit.ly/R1qbQp, AND THE VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH US GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: “WE”RE GOING TO TAKE OUT 7 COUNTRIES IN 5 YEARS: IRAQ, SYRIA, LIBYA, SOMALIA, SUDAN & IRAN…” http://youtu.be/tYBc92Jw724

WORLD BANK WHISTLEBLOWER : WHO IS KAREN HUDES?

Karen Hudes studied law at Yale Law School and economics at the University of Amsterdam. She worked in the US Export Import Bank of the US from 1980-1985 and in the Legal Department of the World Bank from 1986-2007. In 2007 Karen warned the US Treasury Department and US Congress that the US would lose its right to appoint the President of the World Bank if the current American President of the World Bank did not play by the rules.

“In July 2011, as the NATO and Gulf states’ destabilization operations against Assad in Syria were in full swing, the governments of Syria, Iran and Iraq signed an historic gas pipeline energy agreement which went largely unnoticed…” “This Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline would be the largest gas pipeline in the Middle East and would span from Iran’s gas-rich South Pars field to the Mediterranean coastline in Lebanon, via Iraq and Syria.

“Syria possesses the largest proved reserves of crude oil in the eastern Mediterranean countries. The Oil & Gas Journal estimated Syria’s proved reserves at 2.5 billion barrels in January 2013, a total larger than all of Syria’s neighbors except for Iraq. The Oil & Gas Journal also reported at the end of 2012 that Syria held proved reserves of 8.5 Tcf of natural gas. This gives Syria the largest conventional hydrocarbon resource base of the countries in this report,… http://www.eia.gov/countries/regions-&#8230;

*Note/Clarification: This is an excerpt from an at-length interview by Greg Hunter. While the interview is not about Syria, Hudes makes mention of Syria as an example of current-day, political theatre. In the original interview, while Hudes is correct regarding the true intent of the demonization/destabilization of Syria (natural gas/pipelines), her facts are reversed. The Saudis offered to purchase $15 billion in Russian arms & to restrict oil output for Russia to maintain their market & price. (Hudes states this info. the other way around.) Original interview: http://youtu.be/gHVgRgYdCsQ&#8221;

-Not a Pipeline War

The War Against the Assad Regime Is Not a ‘Pipeline War’
by Gareth Porter, September 24, 2016 original.antiwar.com“…Even more important, the immediate problem for Qatar’s proposal was not Syria but Saudi Arabia, whose territory the Qatari gas would have to cross to get to Syria. In January 2010, The National, a daily UAE [United Arab Emirates] newspaper reported that the main obstacle to the idea of a pipeline to carry Qatari natural gas to Turkey and then to Europe “was likely to be Saudi Arabia, which has a track record of obstructing regional pipeline development” and still had very bad relations with Qatar. And Middle East geopolitical analyst Felix Imonti reported at Oilprice.com in 2012 that Qatar had been forced to abandon the pipeline idea in 2010 because Saudi Arabia had not agreed to have it built across its territory…

If it’s not a pipeline war, why is the US intervening in Syria? The US decision to support Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in their ill-conceived plan to overthrow the Assad regime was primarily a function of the primordial interest of the US permanent war state in its regional alliances. The three Sunni allies control US access to the key US military bases in the region, and the Pentagon, the CIA, the State Department and the Obama White House were all concerned, above all, with protecting the existing arrangements for the US military posture in the region.

After all, those military bases are what allow the United States to play at the role of hegemonic power in the Middle East, despite the disasters that have accompanied that role. The degree to which the US determination to preserve its present military profile in the region is illustrated by the case of US-Qatar relations over that tiny monarchy’s arming of extremist Sunni groups in Syria in 2012. The Obama administration was very unhappy with Qatar’s choice of proxies in Syria, and the National Security Council discussed a proposal to pull a squadron of US fighter planes from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a way of putting pressure on the government over the issue, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.

But the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which had moved its headquarters to Al Udeid in 2003, argued that the base was critical to its operations in the region, and that it was about to renegotiate its agreement with Qatar over the use of it. The Pentagon supported CENTCOM’s opposition to any move that would disturb relations with Qatar over the issue and vetoed any such pressure on Qatar. The administration ended up doing nothing about the issue, and in 2013, the US-Qatar Defense Cooperation Agreement originally reached in 2003 was renewed for another ten years.

The massive, direct and immediate power interests of the US war state – not the determination to ensure that a pipeline would carry Qatar’s natural gas to Europe – drove the US policy of participation in the war against the Syrian regime. Only if activists focus on that reality will they be able to unite effectively to oppose not only the Syrian adventure but the war system itself.”

I’m still currently researching on this growing “hot topic” in our nation and planet. Feel free to share any additional resources (e.g. sites) to help argue either side as we call can learn from each other…

Transition to a world without oil
TEDGlobal 2009 · 16:40 · Filmed Jul 2009
22 subtitle languages ted.com“Rob Hopkins reminds us that the oil our world depends on is steadily running out. He proposes a unique solution to this problem — the Transition response, where we prepare ourselves for life without oil and sacrifice our luxuries to build systems and communities that are completely independent of fossil fuels. “>

Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy Resources By Eric McLamb, September 6, 2011 ecology.com“..The sun also provides enough energy that can be stored for use long after the sun sets and even during extended cloudy periods. But making it available is much easier said than done. It would be cost prohibitive to make solar energy mainstream for major world consumption in the near future. The technology is pretty much ready for many business and consumer applications, but it would be way too expensive to replace the current energy infrastructure used for fossil fuel energy. Still, according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, solar power could provide energy for more than one billion people by 2020 and 26 percent of global energy needs by 2040…”

Burlington’s switch to renewable energy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save $20 million over the next 20 years and keep energy prices stable, according to Ken Nolan, manager of power resources for Burlington Electric…”

-Wind

Pros & Cons of Wind Energy windustry.org“In the U.S., the greatest source of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is the power sector, at about 38%. The largest source of power is coal, which, even though it produces less than 40% of the power, produces over 70% of the power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. (20% of the greenhouse gas emissions are from natural gas-fired power plants.) Although wind turbines have become familiar in much of the U.S., wind power still (2013) only accounts for about 4% of the power sector.

The potential for wind energy is immense, and experts suggest wind power can easily supply more than 20% of U.S. and world electricity. The advantages and disadvantages of wind energy are detailed here to help you decide what the future of wind should be in the United States.
..”Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Energy First published June 19th, 2013 by James Bratley. Last updated September 10th, 2016. clean-energy-ideas.com“There are many advantages and disadvantages of wind energy, most of which will be discussed in this article. We’ll take a look at the pros and cons of wind turbines to determine whether the controversy surrounding this clean and renewable energy technology is justified…”EES-4 Understanding Why Wind and Ground Solar Energy Cannot Replace Fossil Fuels

http://facebook.com/ScienceReason … In 1979, Jimmy Carter, in a visionary move, installed solar panels on the roof of the White House. This symbolic installation was taken down in 1986 during the Reagan presidency. In 1991, Unity College, an environmentally-minded centre of learning in Maine acquired the panels and later installed them on their cafeteria roof.

In “A Road not Taken”, Swiss artists Christina Hemauer and Roman Keller travel back in time and, following the route the solar panels took, interview those involved in the decisions regarding these panels as well as those involved in the oil crisis of the time. They also look closely at the way this initial installation presaged our own era.

How Green Are Those Solar Panels, Really? By Christina Nunez, National Geographic PUBLISHED November 11, 2014 news.nationalgeographic.com
As the industry grows, so does concern over the environmental impact.“..Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and the process uses water as well as electricity, the production of which emits greenhouse gases. It also creates waste. These problems could undercut solar’s ability to fight climate change and reduce environmental toxics…

Right now, solar panel recycling suffers from a chicken-or-egg problem: There aren’t enough places to recycle old solar panels, and there aren’t enough defunct solar panels to make recycling them economically attractive….

The silicon used to make the vast majority of today’s photovoltaic cells is abundant, but a “silicon-based solar cell requires a lot of energy input in its manufacturing process,” said Northwestern’s You. The source of that energy, which is often coal, he added, determines how large the cell’s carbon footprint is…”

The French government has announced plans to install solar panels on 621 miles of road over the next five years as part of the “Positive Energy” initiative. The goal of the project is to supply electricity to 5 million people, or about 8 percent of the country. The “Wattway” photovoltaic solar panels that will be used in the project were jointly developed by the French road construction company Colas and the National Institute for Solar Energy and were unveiled last October. We look at the major step forward for green energy on the Lip News with Jo Ankier and Elliot Hill.

..”Solar Road Panels Offer Asphalt Alternative By Sören Harder .spiegel.de“..The idea is as simple as it is ingenious. Wherever roads are laid, solar panels could go instead. They would generate electricity, which would in turn be fed into the grid. Thus, oil is conserved twice: Electric cars could be charged with the energy produced by the panels, and the panels would replace the use of asphalt, the production of which requires petroleum…
The Brusaws’ work was impressive enough that this spring, they are launching a pilot project, for which the state awarded them $750,000. In their hometown of Sandpoint, Idaho, near the Canadian border, the couple has built their first parking lot made from solar panels…
There’s just one catch: Currently the solar road panels cost about three times as much as conventional roads, the Brusaws say. But over time, they add, the technology could begin to actually turn a profit. It sounds almost too good to be true. “First AMAZING Solar Roadway UNVEILED!

“Published on Oct 11, 2016

The words failure of epic proportion are thrown around a lot these days….. however Solar Roadways grand unveiling may have just raised the bar on what that actually means.

We were promised roads that would generate power, be computer controlled, modular, replaceable, with programmable lights that would function as road markings that would be visible during the day.

What was delivered was a ‘road’ that couldnt be driven
DIDNT GENERATE ANY POWER
had LED lights on that just cycled
LED that were not visible even when the STREET LIGHTS WERE STILL ON, let alone in full daylight!
and of course 75% of them died within a week of instillation.

You would have thought such a failure to achieve anything would have dampened their bold claims…. but not at all, they are now claiming the road will recharge your electric car while you are actually driving……sigh…. and they STILL get wall to wall favorable media coverage!

Solar Roadways make them a lot more expensive — 10 to 40 times more expensive depending on assumptions — and in theory create the ability to avoid some costs and make some other costs more viable, but a lot of the additional value seems pretty flimsy. They will be unable to overcome this massive cost increase through generating electricity.

For example, they want to replace painting road markings — which would degrade the light hitting the solar panels — with LED road markings. Well, this just adds a lot of cost and heat, won’t necessarily be particularly visible during the day and will put LEDs and their wiring between the panels and the sunlight too. Ditto magically moving lane markings allowing shifts in traffic patterns will likewise be an expensive technical solution to some paint which needs to be restored every year or two and maybe some overhead signage…

So what’s the problem with snowplows? Well, they have heavy metal blades that scrape across the road. And the road in this case is a bumpy glass surface, because a slick surface would become a sheet of ice in the rain, so it needs to be textured. And the snowplow blade is going to be blasting across these bumps at 30-50 miles per hour scraping them off and shattering them. Oh, and leaving a lot of snow packed into the cracks between the bumps, degrading the effectiveness yet again. Salt, gravel and other substances will likely be required as well, which is fun when you have a bunch of glass panels with cracks between them allowing salty water in among the solar panels, LEDs, wires and heating coils…”U.S.’s First Public Solar Road Will Roll Out On Route 66 by Barbara Eldredge@barbaraeldredge Jun 21, 2016, 9:35am EDT curbed.com

Solar streets are finally having their moment in the sun“..Missouri’s transportation department is set to launch their own crowdfunding campaign to support their energy experiment, and expects the hexagonal solar panels to be fully installed and operational by the end of the year…”

Solar energy is our best hope, but the development of said technology over the past few decades has been lackluster. How long before solar energy lives up to its promises? What’s taking so long? Will the energy revolution arrive in time?…

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Biomass Energy conserve-energy-future.com“..Now these biomass fuel products are harvested and mass-produced and used in everything from engines to power plants. … Carbon dioxide released by fossil fuel are released into the atmosphere and are harmful to the environment. 3. Abundant and Renewable: Biomass products are abundant and renewable…”

Wyoming proposal would require utilities to use fossil fuels
Mead Gruver, Associated Press Wed, Jan 25 2:36 PM PST yahoo.com“..The legislators’ push to punish renewable energy use “clearly picks a preferred energy source regardless of cost. This may not only cost ratepayers and consumers in Wyoming, but it could harm our potential to attract new industry,” Godby said.

The bill would penalize utility-scale solar and wind because those producers are less able to respond quickly to fluctuating demand for power. Natural gas power plants can fire up quickly when millions of people turn on their air conditioners during a heat wave.

But the wind does not blow all the time and solar energy installations cannot produce electricity at night, making them less versatile than fossil fuels that can be burned whenever electricity is needed…”

Renewable energy has been both praised and derided as an alternative source of power over the past two decades. To its detractors it is inefficient, unreliable and economically unsound. To its advocates it is free, clean, and unlimited in its potential. With global reliance on dwindling oil reserves an international political priority, attention continues to focus on renewable energy and its applications…”

“..change our energy behavior of energy consumption..increase efficiency in one end and other save…increase renewable energy”